Chiapas: Residents of Chiapa de Corzo Reject EPN’s Visit on International Day of Indigenous Peoples

Photo@ proceso.com.mx

On August 7th, President Enrique Peña Nieto arrived in Chiapa de Corzo along with the governor of Chiapas Manuel Velasco Suarez, to commemorate “International Day of Indigenous Peoples.”

According to Aristegui News: “From a day before their arrival, the inhabitants of Chiapa de Corzo expressed their rejection of the visit of the President and declared him ‘persona non grata.'”

“The heroic Chiapa de Corzo does not receive traitors and we consider that Peña Nieto is a traitor to the country because he has reformed the laws against the Mexican people, given up its natural resources, delivered the oil, energy, and will continue to deliver our people (…) we do not want a traitor sellout and murderer.”

According to Angeles Mariscal, a journalist Aristegui News: “Chiapacorceños congregated in the central square of the municipality. They carried banners of rejection for Peña, and walked around the site playing traditional drums and flutes. Riot police surrounded the demonstrators to prevent them from reaching the venue, a sports center.”

Due to this, the planned speeches by both Enrique Peña Nieto and Governor Manuel Velasco were shortened, however, both gave importance to the introduction of Special Economic Zones, which according to Aristegui News is a “project which seeks the investment of private initiative to exploit the natural resources of Chiapas through economic incentives.”

The governor of Chiapas also said, “that this economic policy that now only contemplates the Soconusco zone of Chiapas, must be replicated in the indigenous region.”

He then gave some scholarships to young people and ended his visit and returned to Mexico City.

For more information in Spanish:

Habitantes de Chiapa de Corzo declaran “non grato” a Peña Nieto y policía los reprime. (Aristegui Noticias, 8 de agosto de 2017)

Enfrentamientos por visita de EPN a Chiapas. (La Jornada, 7 de agosto de 2017)

Previo a su visita, declaran a Peña Nieto “persona non grata” en Chiapa de Corzo. (Proceso, 7 de agosto de 2017)

For more information from SIPAZ:

Chiapas : denuncian criminalización de defensores de la Madre Tierra en zona zoque

México/Nacional: Diputados aprueban Ley Federal de Zonas Económicas Especiales

Oaxaca: Se amparan pueblos del Istmo contra Zona Económica Especial (ZEE)

Oaxaca: Eviction and Arrests at Bií Hioxo Wind Farm

Photo@: Educa

On July 13th, after more than 12 days of peaceful demonstration demanding the establishment negotiations with the executives of the wind power company Electrica de Francia (EDF), the protesting owners of the lands affected by the Bií Hioxo wind farm, took the watchtower of the company EDF, in the region of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Oaxaca.

Ivan Hernandez Jimenez, one of the plaintiffs, pointed out that “the protest against the wind company is due to the lack of support and insensitivity of the representatives of the foreign company.”

According to Proceso, the occupation of the watchtower resulted in an operation of the Regional Command of the State Police at the request of the French company to evict the Zapotecs and arrest 15 demonstrators.

 For more information in Spanish:

Detienen a 15 zapotecos en el parque eólico Bii Hioxo a solicitud de empresa francesa (Proceso, 13 de julio de 2017)

Desalojo y 15 detenidos en parque eólico del Istmo, Oaxaca (NVI Noticias, 14 de julio de 2017)

Detenidas 15 personas por obstruir acceso a Parque Eólico Bií Hioxo, en Oaxaca(Oaxaca entre Lineas, 13 de julio de 2017)

Detienen a 15 personas que bloqueaban parque eólico en el Istmo (Diario Marca, 14 de julio de 2017)

For more information from SIPAZ :

Oaxaca: Pobladores de Juchitan ganan amparo para suspensión de obras de parque eólico (14 de octubre de 2015)

Oaxaca: Tercer aniversario del movimiento contra los proyectos eólicos en San Dionisio del Mar (30 de enero de 2015)

Oaxaca: Conflictos por elecciones extraordinarias en San Dionisio del Mar (19 de diciembre de 2014

Guerrero: Injunction Granted to Me’Phaa Community against Mining in Guerrero

Members of the San Miguel de Progreso Commission. Photo@: Tlachinollan

On June 28th, the Me’Phaa community of San Miguel del Progreso – “Juba Wajiín” – were granted an injunction against the Declaration of Land Freedom, which considered their territory free for mining activity. According to the Tlachinollan Human Rights Center (Tlachinollan), the injunction and protection by Federal Justice were granted to the Community of San Miguel del Progreso, as there was essentially foundation for the claim of violation, and therefore non-compliance with the constitutional and conventional obligation of the Mexican State to respect the rights of this indigenous-agrarian community Me’phaa de La Montaña de Guerrero was demonstrated.

It should be remembered that this is the second injunction granted to the community of San Miguel del Progreso – “Juba Wajiín” – against the mining threat in their territory. The first judgment of injunction against mining concessions was notified on February 12th, 2014. The challenge of that historic ruling brought the case before the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJN in its Spanish acronym).

Tlachinollan considers that this injunction “is an unprecedented achievement for the indigenous community and a recognition of the tireless and millennial struggle of the Me’phaa community of San Miguel del Progreso and the Regional Council of Agricultural Authorities of Montaña de Guerrero in the defense of their territory and their life in the face of the threat posed by open pit mining, which also encourages them to continue to organize locally and regionally.”

For more information in Spanish:

Júba Wajiín: Un rayo contra las mineras (Centro de derechos Humanos de la Montaña, a 17 de julio de 2017)

Otorgan amparo a comunidad Me’Phaa contra la explotación minera en Guerrero (Proceso, a 11 de julio de 2017)

Comunidad Me’Phaa de San Miguel del Progreso gana amparo contra Declaratoria de Libertad de Terrenos (Centro de derechos Humanos de la Montaña, a 11 de julio de 2017)

Otorgan amparo a comunidad me´phaa ante explotación minera (La Jornada, a 11 de julio de 2017)

For more information from SIPAZ:

Guerrero: San Miguel del Progreso exige resolución del amparo 429/2016 (24 de abril de 2017)

Guerrero: San Miguel del Progreso exige se determine inconstitucionalidad de Ley Minera (20 de mayo de 2016)

Guerrero: Comunidad indígena pide a la SCJN revisión de la Ley Minera (2 de julio de 2014)

Oaxaca: Campaign against SEZ Announced

Special Economic Zones (@Proceso)

On June 22nd, during the forum “Special Economic Zones and Implications in Community Life and the Environment”, about 250 participants from 50 civil and social organizations expressed their rejection of “the implementation of the SEZs in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Oaxaca and elsewhere in the state.”

Participants pointed out that SEZs are intended to generate employment but through the implementation of mining, wind, and gas mega-projects, among others, which would end the communal life of indigenous peoples. Furthermore, they denounced that they promote extralegal and paramilitary violence and are the spearhead of the extractive and predatory industries that today are covered under the laws of the SEZs that benefit them.

They also pledged “to implement a massive campaign of counter information on SEZs and megaprojects, and to hold regional and state forums to strengthen the defense of our territories.”

For more information in Spanish: 

Anuncian campaña contra las ZEE (El Sol del Istmo, 28 de junio de 2017)

Advierten “nueva oleada de devastación” en Oaxaca con la creación de las Zonas Económicas Especiales (Proceso, 27 de junio de 2017)

Declaratoria del foro: “Zonas Economicas Especiales y las implicaciones en la vida comunitaria y al medio ambiente” (EDUCA, 26 de junio de 2017)

Con las Zonas Económicas Especiales se avista una nueva devastación para Oaxaca (Regeneración, 28 de junio de 2017)

El capital internacional y la élite política mexicana se ciernen sobre el territorio Oaxaqueño con avaricia, avidez y rapacidad (Activista, 28 de junio de 2017)

For more information from SIPAZ:

Nacional: El Senado aprueba la Ley Federal de Zonas Económicas Especiales (ZEE) (15 de abril de 2016)

México / Nacional: Diputados aprueban Ley Federal de Zonas Económicas Especiales (18 de diciembre 2015)

Oaxaca: comunidades del Istmo presentan amparo ante la ZEE (noviembre de 2016)

Chiapas: Zoque People Mobilizing against Mega-projects in Chiapas

The movement declared itself against extractivist projects, “which put the social, environmental and cultural life of the 60,000 Zoque speakers at risk.” Photo: @Sipaz

On June 22nd, the indigenous movement of the Zoque Believing People in Defense of Life and the Earth organized a pilgrimage in Tuxtla Gutierrez, in which about six thousand people from 3 zones, members of civil society as well as priests of the Archdiocese of Tuxtla Gutierrez and the diocese of San Cristobal de Las Casas participated, according to La Jornada.

Participants denounced that the energy reform approved in 2013 along with ten other constitutional reforms “constitute a serious threat of dispossession of indigenous peoples’ lands”, as only their proponents would benefit from them.

In this case, the International Public Bidding known as Round 2.2 involves “the concession of 12 natural gas and oil extraction wells in the coastal states of the Gulf of Mexico and Southeastern Basin, which is composed of 12 blocks, two of which have an impact on the state of Chiapas. A total of 84,500 hectares of land in nine municipalities in northern Chiapas would be used for the extraction of natural gas through dispossession and environmental contamination of Zoque territory.”

Blocks 10 and 11 in Chiapas would affect the municipalities of Tecpatan, Francisco Leon, Ostuacan, the town of Chapultenango, Ixtacomitan, Ixtapangajoya, Pichucalco, Solosuchiapa, Sunuapa and even Teapa (Tabasco) in order to obtain moist gas, light oil and super light oil.

Photo: @Sipaz

In March 2017, representatives of the movement reported a series of irregularities in the bidding process awarded by the Federal Government’s Energy Secretariat (SENER in its Spanish acronym), because all the affected communities were not consulted and there were no translators in their maternal Zoque language and neither has an Environmental Impact Statement been presented as required by law.

According to the movement, the specific risks would be “excessive use of water, migratory movements, contamination of soil, air and springs, loss of biodiversity, environmental imbalance, reduction of food production, damage to property and public health.”

 The movement stated that they are proceeding “to make the corresponding complaints before the national and international courts over omission in the absence of the presentation of the corresponding Environmental Impact Statement, as well as by the faults that are being committed in the process prior, free and informed consultation.”

Equally, the National Indigenous Congress (CNI in its Spanish acronym) said that “we salute the mobilization and organization undertaken from below for respect for what is theirs … to resist and to repudiate in an organized manner the so-called Round 2.2 on their ancestral territory with which the capitalists plan the extermination of the peoples of the north of Chiapas.”

Photo: @Sipaz

For more information in Spanish:

Pagina facebook del movimiento

Comunidades zoques resisten a proyectos de despojo (Chiapas Denuncia, a 22 de Junio 2017)

Marchan 6 mil personas en Chiapas en rechazo a explotación de hidrocarburos (La Jornada, a 23 de Junio 2017)

“Alto al despojo, destrucción y muerte”: Pueblo Zoque ante Ronda 2.2 de la SENER que ofrece su territorio al mejor postor (Desinformémonos, a 23 de Junio 2017)

Pronunciamiento del Congreso Nacional Indígena en apoyo y solidaridad con la lucha del pueblo Zoque y por la libertad de Luis Fernando Sotelo (Enlace Zapatista, a 23 de Junio 2017)

For more information from SIPAZ:

Chiapas: machan ejidos y comunidades de la zona zoque contra los proyectos extractivos

Chiapas: Libre activista zoque, Silvia Juárez Juárez

Chiapas : denuncian criminalización de defensores de la Madre Tierra en zona zoque

Chiapas : comunidades zoques se oponen a extracción de hidrocarburos en el norte de Chiapas

 

National/International: REMA Questions Report of UN Working Group on Corporations and Human Rights in Mexico

In a statement published on June 19th, the Mexican Network of Workers Affected by Mining (REMA in its Spanish acronym) claimed that the report presented by the United Nations Working Group on Human Rights and Transnational Corporations after its visit to Mexico in September 2016 is “condescending”, “insulting”, “onerous” and “overlapping” government bodies.

REMA stated: “Certainly we did not expect a strong and categorical report that was in line with the very serious human rights violations that we have suffered in Mexico for several years, but we were surprised by such a level of diplomatic and condescending delicacy, overlooking repression and forgetting the disappeared, murdered and sick inhabitants, as well as to the ecosystems ruined by the companies and overlapped by the instances of government. In contrast, in their analysis it is practically concluded that the causes of this disaster are lack of consultation and non-alignment or, as they say, “harmonization” of laws.”

It claimed on the contrary: “Our denunciations and indications expressed the lack of respect of our right to the consent or not of their projects that seek the dispossession of our natural assets, but this does not mean that we were requesting the consultation from them as a solution, on the contrary, we emphasized that we have assumed what our constitution, the laws and international conventions and declarations say: the full exercise of our right to self-determination, therefore, we are the ones who are conducting our consultations, our assemblies, just to avoid that now, with fashion and the auspices of the guiding principles, these governments and companies violating rights, impose mechanisms and procedures as already happens in many countries, in addition to what has already been experienced in some places in our country.”

It indicated that the UN has “ceased to be a small hope for the people, while governments and companies are mocking their conclusions because they know that – even when fully applied – looting, dispossession, displacement of populations and the diversity of crimes inherent in all this will remain unpunished and legitimized because they fully complied with the recommendations of the UN Working Group.”

For all of the above, REMA concluded “THE PEOPLES AND MEMBERS OF REMA NEITHER NEED OR NEEDED OR REQIRED “APPROPRIATE MECHANISMS OF CONSULTATION”, BECAUSE WE OPPOSE THE IMPOSITION OF AN EXTRACTIVE MODEL THAT WORKS AGAINST LIFE. REMA DEMANDS TOTAL RESPECT FOR THE FREE DETERMINATION, AUTONOMY AND SELF-GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLES, ALL RECOGNIZED IN OUR MAGNA CARTA AND IN THE INTERNATIONAL TREATIES.”

 For more information in Spanish:

Informe del Grupo de Trabajo de la ONU sobre empresas y derechos humanos acerca de su misión a México (8 de junio de 2017)

Señalan en la ONU a empresas por atropellar los derechos humanos en México (Educa, 9 de junio de 2017)

COMUNICADO DE PRENSA “EL RELATO DE LOS RELATORES DE LA ONU” (REMA, 19 de junio de 2017)

Afectados por la minería cuestionan informe de relatores de la ONU (Contralínea, 19 de junio de 2017)

Informe de la ONU es “condescendiente” y “solapa” al gobierno: Red Mexicana de Afectados por la Minería (Desinformémonos, 20 de junio de 2017)

For more information from SIPAZ :

Nacional/Internacional: Organizaciones civiles llaman a tomar acciones urgentes ante informe del Grupo de Trabajo sobre Derechos Humanos y Empresas (14 de junio de 2017)

Nacional: Visita oficial del Grupo de Trabajo de la ONU sobre empresas y derechos humanos a México (21 de septiembre de 2016)

Oaxaca: Fourth Encounter of Women Activists and Human Rights Defenders in Oaxaca

Photo @: SIPAZ

On June 15TH and 16TH, the Fourth Encounter of Women Activists and Human Rights Defenders of Oaxaca took place in the capital city of the state. About 70 women from different regions of the state of Oaxaca, the Mixteca, the Sierra Norte, the Isthmus, the Cañada, the Coast, the Sierra Sur and the Central Valleys, as well as representatives of international support organizations and a representative of the European Union in Mexico were present. The meeting aimed at the design of a comprehensive feminist protection strategy promoted by the Oaxaca Consortium for the Parliamentary Dialogue and Equality (Consortium) and various organizations that are part of the Mesoamerican Women Defenders Initiative (IM-Defensoras in Spanish), under the premise of strengthening the defense of the human rights of the various feminist, civil and social movements as well as strengthening alliances between the different struggles of women. They are currently involved in a variety of struggles, ranging from the defense of Earth and Territory, water, migrants, rejection of “death” mega-projects of and high electricity charges to requests for freedom for political prisoners and those unjustly imprisoned.

According to IM-Defensoras, the context in the state of Oaxaca is “adverse and dangerous for the defense of human rights where attacks have risen alarmingly, where impunity and the acquiescence of the state are a pattern.” In 2012, for example, the Consortium registered a total of 48 attacks against defenders in Oaxaca, while in 2016, that number rose to 320. The attacks are of different types: assaults, harassment, threats, slander, defamation and feminicides.

 For more information in Spanish :

Se consolidan procesos de articulación de mujeres defensoras en Oaxaca (Educa, 16 de junio de 2017)

Inicia el 4º Encuentro Estatal de Mujeres Activistas y Defensoras de Derechos Humanos de Oaxaca (Iniciativa Mesoamericana de mujeres defensoras de derechos humanos, 16 de junio de 2017)